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Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Two Weeks With The Most Ethical Administration Ever

So, the "most ethical" administration in the history of this country claim lasted, what, less than two weeks. Not unexpected by realists, but for the gullible, it must be a bit of a disappointment, if honesty in thought prevails, that the people brought forward for the new administration turn out to be just regular human beings. They are human beings with tax evasion problems, too. Didn't VP Biden say it was "patriotic" to pay taxes? Does he support these unpatriotic Americans as members of the Obama/Biden administration?

It is not so much a political punch to the gut of President Obama as it is an ethical statement. Ethics are tossed out the window if Obama says this is the only person in the entire country that can do the job. "The most ethical" administration ever has produced a Secretary of Treasury who didn't pay his own taxes - after receiving specific instructions on how to handle the matter each year by his employer - and also claimed such deductions as his children's' summer camps and sitters.

"The most ethical" administration ever has produced an Attorney General who copped to using poor judgement and not enough monitoring during the pardoning process with former President Clinton. This has all been well-established. Yet, perhaps it was more important to have the first black Attorney General and former law school buddy Eric Holder in the job than it was to show ethical judgement.

"The most ethical" administration ever has produced Tom Daschle in the dual role of Secretary of Health and Human Services and as Health Care Reform Czar. He is to be in charge of ramming through universal health care and touted as the only one in the entire country that can handle that task.

The Secretary of Treasury paid back taxes owed after it was apparent that he would be nominated to the job. He, however, did not pay all of the interest. The nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services and Health Care Reform Czar paid his back taxes owed on a free car and driver gifted to him by a lobbyist in the health care industry after it became apparent he would be nominated for the jobs.

The woman nominated for the newly created job of government accountability czar has withdrawn her nomination due to an issue with unpaid taxes. She threw herself under the bus much like Governor Bill Richardson did, when nominated to be Secretary of Commerce, as his involvement in corrupt bidding in New Mexico by contractors with state contracts became known publicly. And, now, Daschle withdraws his name for consideration. Note that it was only after five newspapers, including The New York Times, called for him to do so. And, some of the senators called for his withdrawal, too.

A pattern emerges for the "most ethical" administration ever in just two weeks. Two weeks. We are hardly into the first one hundred days.

I've been following all of this too. It's pretty funny, in a sad way...

What I noticed most was this: Geitner owed over $34,000- that's about the average annual income in the States. Daschle owed more than $128,000- 4 times the average annual income! What do these guys know about Joe Sixpack?

But more than that, what would happen if you or I simply ignored our taxes for 4 years? Would the IRS let us off if we apologized, or claimed that we were "embarrassed and disappointed?"

While tax law does abrogate jail time if you pony up the dough, I somehow think that Geitner and Daschle got off lightly due to position.

So is there one law for the top, and one law for the bottom?

I looks like the Obama Admin will have just as much back-rubbing and cronyism as the Bush Admin. No surprise, really.

Michael,You are right, of course. One standard for D.C. cronies, one for the rest of us. Who believes that such a smart guy like Daschle didn't know he had to pay taxes on a driver and car service provided by his friend, a powerful lobbyist? He knew. So did Geitner. Geithner was w/the N.Y. Federal Reserve, for heavens sakes. You think he didn't know tax law? It's just the same old, same old.

Obama made unreachable promises, due to his lack of experience on the national stage and it comes home to roost. He's a politician from the southside of Chicago. It's different from Texas politics or Arkansas politics but it's still politics. And, Chicago is most corrupt of all. Obama's charm only goes so far, then he has to produce. So far, his team hasn't gotten off to a good start.